Archery accuracy depends upon the stability of a bow when addressing and executing a shot from a shooting position. Three dimensional forces arising in all directions about the bow riser creates an inherent instability. An archer's bow string drawing introduces a host of counteracting forces which in turn creates inherent instability while aiming and shooting at a target. Maintaining a targeting site without any upwardly, downwardly, backwardly, or outwardly movement of the bow throughout target sighting, drawing and releasing of the archery arrow inherently creates in instability. Translational and rotational movements will invariably arise at the instant the release of the arrow occurs. By increasing the bow weight to an objectable overweight, transitional movements to a certain degree have been reportedly alleviated. This, solution however, is impractical because it distracts from the necessary fluid movements required by a proficient archer on the range or in the field.
Conventional archery stabilizers typically comprise weighted rods placed at various orientations. Early stabilizers consisted essentially of long aluminum rods threaded into the risers of the bow and weighted at the opposite rod end. Later versions relied upon carbon fiber composites in conjunction with a vibration absorbing device such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,022. Numerous other patents (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,090,396; 5,611,325 and 6,431,163) rely upon multirod stabilizers.
Most bow stabilizers disclosed by the patents generally rely upon a fixed stabilizing position which may not be readjusted except for revamping the stabilizer to another fixed mount so as to accommodate the changing destabilizing conditions. The adjustability of the stabilizing mass in most conventional stabilizers primarily depends upon the rod length and weighted ends threaded into rod receivers often set at various angular positions. Elbowed and jointed stabilizing rods have also been used in attempts to rectify the age old problem of achieving a more perfect stabilization of an archer's bow.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,860 to E. H. Hoyt Jr. there is disclosed stabilization of a bow by rigidly attaching weighted elements to the bow handle perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis passing through the center of gravity of the bow so as to increase a mass movement of inertia about the longitudinal and transverse axis about the center of gravity of the bow without objectionably increasing the weight of the bow. The Hoyt Jr. patent reports that properly positioned weighted elements about the bow handle reduces angular movement of the bow as well as translational movements when releasing the arrow or by flinching. This reportedly alleviates target misalignment due to counteracting forces arising from a drawn bow.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,142, stabilizers are mounted at opposite sides or on the rear face of the bow so as to extend rearwardly on opposite sides of the bow string so as to counterbalance any forwardly extending destabilization. Universal joints are employed to vary the leveling angle of rearwardly extending stabilizers in U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,121.
A recent patent to W. L. Leven (U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,430 B2) discloses a multirod stabilizer. The stabilizer is equipped with shock absorbers to absorb shock arising from bow string and arrow release. The Leven stabilizer is disclosed as having two flexible rods housed within the proximate housing, an intermediate housing and an end housing of a plastic construction provided with compressed resilient sleeves and a shock absorber. The Leven stabilizing device reportedly dampens and absorbs vibrational energy created during the archery shooting of an arrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,731 to Webster discloses a bow stabilizer consisting of a stabilizing mount for attachment onto a standard stabilizer fitting of the archery bow. The mount fits cross-wise onto the bow handle and includes four stabilizing arms extending downwardly and outwardly in opposing quadrants. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,070 to Martin, there is disclosed a stabilizer mount which is vertically incorporated into the bow handle to which threaded receivers or a locking slot are provided for adjustably retaining a threaded bolt at a desired longitudinal stabilizing position.
Variations in angular disposition of the stabilizers have also reportedly been accomplished by pivotal mounting of a stabilizing unit to allow for a stabilizing distribution of weight about the bow handle. An adjustable stabilizer for adjusting along two different planes relative to the bow has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,403 to Slates. The Slates stabilizer consists of an arm pivotally mounted at one end to the bow's mounting screw and an adjustable stabilizing rod holder at an opposite arm end. By pivoting the stabilizing arm to the appropriate angular position coupled with adjusting the slideable rod within the arm holder to the correct position, the desired stabilizing position is reportedly accomplished.